How about a 'period' classics pictures thread
Discussion
Plinth said:
A sailing club, probably somewhere in the Derby/Nottingham area, picture from the early 1960’s.
Some interesting old motors – my late father’s red Aston DB2 by the building.
No sure what lurks under the tarpaulin – Triumph Razor Edge?
Austin or Rover next to it?
Note the other Aston (DB Mk3?) with the boat on the roof (!).
For a car which, in total they built just a few hundred its amazing to see two close together. Especially when there is only one Mini, one Anglia etc etc
Just bought Sunbeam Imp Sport (gold one at front) awaiting buyer to take Faun Brown/Blaze (BL colours) Singer Chamois away. Very late 60s.
I think Ed Sheeran bought it!
By the early 70s hours and hours spent of the gold Imp Sport meant it had changed dramatically, Glacier White (BL) and Wardance Red (Chrysler) plus ever Imp mod under the sun and more!
Pictured here in Torquay in 74 alongside another Imp owner who was intrigued by the colour scheme. His actually ended up with the same red on top half.
I think Ed Sheeran bought it!
By the early 70s hours and hours spent of the gold Imp Sport meant it had changed dramatically, Glacier White (BL) and Wardance Red (Chrysler) plus ever Imp mod under the sun and more!
Pictured here in Torquay in 74 alongside another Imp owner who was intrigued by the colour scheme. His actually ended up with the same red on top half.
Edited by dandarez on Saturday 12th August 15:15
Plinth said:
dandarez said:
Don’t recognise the alloys – Cosmic?
It appeared in Practical Motorist or similar. They said I should get an engine decoke etc as it had done 95,000 miles! It's how I really got into cars. I took their advice and went to a Imp nut who raced his car who told me he could give it a complete overhaul, valves, new rings, shells, the lot. When I picked the car up there was no oil pressure. I was a little upset by this after I had handed over my hard-earned cash. He said 'Oh give it a drive, it'll come back up.'
It didn't. Then the real knocking started. I was utterly clueless about engines. I drove it straight back. He scratched his head. The oil drained, he put it up on his ramp and had the sump off, and I watched him. Nope, it's all fine he said. All back together, fired up, tapping got louder. 'Oh, not sure why it's making that noise? Perhaps take it for nice long drive, sure it will settle down, there is nothing amiss in there that I can see, it's all new.'
I might have been clueless but to take a car for a long drive with no oil pressure sounded stupid to me. I went straight to the nearest Rootes garage where I would eventually become a 'Oh, it's you again!' regular!
Mechanic came out and listened. He said he guessed something was amiss with the crank or bearings. How much would it cost me to have it put right?. Strip down initially would be needed to find out what is wrong, probably around £!!!!, then parts if needed, plus labour again...
Oh s
te. Ok, I'll think about it. I drive off (noisily) straight to see a wise old man I knew. He was a double decker bus mechanic so anything engines he was the guy to know. Even better is that he drove a new Imp! I was an apprentice at the time so was worrying where the hell am I going to get the money to put this right?Bill (bus mechanic) lifts my boot lid (engine lid) and says start it up. Instantly he says 'Your big ends are knocking'.
'You what?' I'm at that point visualising a goblin or something with a big hammer in the sump!
Told you I was clueless! Most I'd ever done up to then was the cosmetic stuff although with some help I had bolted a Stromberg carb on to replace the standard Solex thingy from Derringtons in London.It changed from that moment for me.
'Bill' the bus mechanic suggested that I 'Go and get a set of bearing shells, you can change them.' 'Can I?' 'Yes. he said, and make sure you get your money back from that Imp 'racer' guy. So I did. In fact, he gave me all my money back bar the parts he used! I never told the 'racer' guy, I just moaned that it was still knocking, and he said sorry and handed back my money, and hoped the garage could sort it out for me.
Armed with my cash I went back to the Rootes dealer, but not for them to fix it. Came away with a sump gasket and a pack of big end shells as Bill said.
Jacked the rear of the car up in my mate's garage (seems like yesterday to me, even now!) while he changed a rad on his souped up 1300cc Mini. By the time I had finished bolting my sump back on, his hands were grazed and cut from trying to replace his Mini's rad! - there was literally no room in his engine bay at all. I had a Mini too at one point, but not for long. You can keep them!
What was causing the big end knock?
It was so simple! The idiot had simply put a bearing cap on the wrong way round. That was all it was! I never used all the shells, just replaced the ones that had run with a new pair, bolted the cap back the correct way round, put the sump back with new gasket, filled up with new oil, fired up. Quiet as a mouse! I was so happy!
Never looked back. From thereon it was phoning Team Hartwell at Bournemouth on a regular basis, or visiting, modding everything in sight, upgrading to a 998cc engine, Aston Martin silencer slung across the rear crossmember, bendy exhaust manifolds, Chesman heads, camshafts, transaxles, whatever.
Lordbenny said:
No, I haven't still got the jacket!
Snap!
Fiat bedpans by Nick Liassides, on Flickr
By brother's Fiat (and long-suffering first wife) on their wedding day. We made a drunken raid on the Hospital the night before so a friend who was a nurse could nick a load of those weird cardboard bedpans for us to tie behind the car. Tin cans were soooooo last decade back in the late 80s. Dodgy jackets and socks not pictured.
The shaving foam left an indelible remnant burned into the micron-thin paint of the poor li'l Fiat
Bro wasn't too chuffedRATATTAK said:
Plinth said:
........
No sure what lurks under the tarpaulin – Triumph Razor Edge?
.........
The car next to I think could be an Alvis TA14.
williamp said:
looking at the chrome strip on the front wing, probably a DB2/4 MK2. The bling version of the DB2 range..
Yes - I missed that - too busy looking at the rear lamps....RATATTAK said:
Triumph Mayflower by the looks
I'm not sure about this car - you are probably nearer to the answer than me.nicanary said:
The car next to I think could be an Alvis TA14.
Good call - I never thought of that!nicanary said:
It looks to me like there are bars running the width of the car's roof, which makes me think it's a convertible of some sort.
Ah, yes - no idea what that could be.
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